The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemumxc3x97morifolium and hereinafter referred to by the name xe2x80x98Yofire Islandxe2x80x99.
The new Chrysanthemum is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventors in Fort Myers, Fla. and Salinas, Calif. The objective of the breeding program is to create new potted Chrysanthemum cultivars that are suitable for year-round production with uniform plant growth habit, good vigor, desirable inflorescence form and floret colors, fast response time, and good postproduction longevity.
The new Chrysanthemum originated from a cross made by the Inventors in October, 1994, in Salinas, Calif., of the Chrysanthemum cultivar Rage, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,770, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary Chrysanthemum seedling selection identified as code number YB-5547, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Chrysanthemum was discovered and selected by the Inventors as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross grown in a controlled environment in Salinas, Calif. The selection of this plant was based on its uniform plant growth habit, desirable inflorescence form and floret colors, fast response time, and excellent postproduction longevity.
Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum by vegetative tip cuttings was first conducted in Fort Myers, Fla. in July, 1996. Asexual reproduction by cuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
The cultivar Yofire Island has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength, and/or light level, wihout, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Yofire Islandxe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Yofire Islandxe2x80x99 as a new and distinct Chrysanthemum:
1. Uniform and upright plant habit.
2. Strong and freely branching growth habit.
3. Dark green glossy foliage.
4. Uniform and freely flowering habit.
5. Can be grown as a disbud or spray-type.
6. Early flowering, eight-week response time.
7. Large daisy-type inflorescences that are about 11.7 cm in diameter.
8. Red and yellow bi-colored ray florets.
9. Good postproduction longevity with plants maintaining good substance and color for at least four weeks in an interior environment.
Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in ray floret coloration as plants of the new Chrysanthemum have bright red and yellow bi-colored ray florets whereas plants of the female parent selection have solid bright red-colored ray florets.
Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ primarily from plants of the male parent selection in ray floret coloration as plants of the new Chrysanthemum have bright red and yellow bi-colored ray florets whereas plants of the male parent selection have light pink-colored ray florets.
Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the cultivar Pelee, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,464. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventors in Salinas, Calif., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Pelee in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had a more uniform plant habit and flowering response than plants of the cultivar Pelee.
2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had darker green foliage than plants of the cultivar Pelee.
3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered about four to five days earlier than plants of the cultivar Pelee.
Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can also be compared to plants of the cultivar Yococoa Beach, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,317. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventors in Salinas, Calif., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Yococoa Beach in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had a more uniform plant habit than plants of the cultivar Yococoa Beach.
2. Ray floret color of plants of the new Chrysanthemum was brighter and more vivid than ray floret color of plants of the cultivar Yococoa Beach.